Lacey Cops 'Project Crash' A Sobering Reminder Of What Can Happen When You Drive Drunk

The average drunk driver has driven under the influence 80 times before his or her first arrest.

Lacey Police Chief Michael C. DiBella wanted to drive home that number and the frightening reminders of what can happen if you drive drunk to roughly 275 students from Lacey Township High School the day before their senior prom.

So he and other officers, school staff, students, the New Jersey State Police and local emergency services staged "Project Crash," a mock motor vehicle accident with a fatality and several injures. The entire event has been coordinated by Lacey Township High School School teacher Rene Risden for the past several years.

"As graduation approached, both the staff at the Lacey Township High School and the Lacey Township Police Department wanted to do everything we could to ensure our students safety, especially on the evening of the Lacey Township High School Prom," Police Chief Michael C. DiBella said. "We wanted the students to make smart choices during their special night."

Lacey Used Auto in Lanoka Harbor and the Lanoka Harbor Fire Company provided the crash vehicles, and the New Jersey State Police provided the Medivac helicopter. The Lanoka Harbor First Aid Squad also assisted. Riggs Funeral Home provided the hearse, the chief said.

"Project Crash demonstrated the consequences of making poor choices, including underage consumption of alcohol and DUI," DiBella said. "The event showed the students the horrors that can occur when people drink and drive.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving reports that one person is killed every 51 minutes by a drunk driver, and another is injured every two minutes. In 2015, 10,265 people died in drunk driving crashes and another 290,000 were injured. Drunk driving costs the United States $132 Billion a year and on average, it costs each adult over $500 a year.

Roughly one-third of all drivers arrested or convicted of DUI are repeat offenders, and an average drunk driver has driven over 80 times DUI before their first arrest, according to MADD.
Photos: Lacey police department